What kind of people do we want to see in our future Wales, our future Britain and our future world? Linguists, said Anna Vivian Jones, Claire Gorrara, Christopher Lewis and Teresa Tinsley in a talk held in partnership with Cardiff University.
The British Council’s Head of Education in Wales, Christopher Lewis, outlined the importance of nurturing a generation of linguists internationally inspired and globally connected. Whether for economic, cognitive or cultural reasons, the general consensus among the panelists was one of multi-lingualism as a soft power tool in a modern society. “Britain needs to up its game,” said Lewis, “English is not enough.”
But academic consultant Teresa Tinsley’s research for the British Council suggested that in a post-Brexit Britain, the real issue we will face is a cultural divide and increasing linguaphobia. British students are struggling to compete with their multi-lingual European counterparts.
“Languages can close the gap in our society,” according to Anna Vivian Jones, who has been working on new curriculums and policies to improve language learning in Wales. “There has never been a greater need for languages,” she said when reminding the audience of Nelson Mandela’s idea that when you talk to a man in his own language, you go to his heart.
If you missed this, you might like to go to event number 103, The 2018 Anthea Bell Lecture: Translating Homer, at 4pm on Sunday 27 May.
Pictured above from left to right are Anna Vivian Jones, Christopher Lewis, Teresa Tinsley and Claire Gorrara.